The Christmas Rental

Craving a change of pace and spending more time with her adopted daughter, overworked E.R. doctor Lorelei Parker has rented her estranged relative's house and taken a fill-in position in Oakvale, Minnesota, for December. It's the kind of place she can imagine raising Mary Ann and having more time to be a mom - if her parents didn't hitch their dreams to her. They were against her being a single mom and wanted to see her climb the corporate ladder at the city hospital.

Oakvale resident, Tyler McCain, runs his family's combination real estate/bowling alley businesses. He's trapped in duty and obligation and can't stop daydreaming about buying the thriving bookstore across the street. A love of books won't be enough to walk away from his parents' business, though. If he chooses his dreams, it'll spell the end of the McCain legacy and cause everlasting guilt. However, if Tyler can confront his parents, the only way he can afford to buy the bookstore is to use the funds he saved for traveling the world to explore the places from all his favorite books.

With the new temporary doctor in town, Tyler's the go-to person for the rental and is drawn to Lorelei and their similar circumstance. Together they acknowledge the weight of perpetually pleasing their parents and letting obligations and duties squeeze their own dreams out of the picture. As Tyler showcases the small-town's charms to Lorelei, a friendship builds, and chaos unfolds when her parents show up for a visit. In a short time, she becomes a part of the community, from the Christmas tree lighting to the Christmas feast, and falls in love with it all, including Tyler. Yet he knows the rental and position are only temporary, even if he's falling in love with her too.

The desire and importance of raising a family in a small town is a long-time goal for them both. But can the dreams of Oakvale last beyond December?